Kookie Monster

Bond slams liberal, mean-spirited public in farewell interview

North Coast Current:

Looking back at how the political climate has changed since he was first elected in 1992, [retired Councilman James] Bond said that coastal Southern California has gradually shifted toward a more liberal or left-of-center way of thinking. He said that accompanying that shift has been a swing toward more mean-spirited elections and campaigns.

Bond was critical of people who he said abuse the public comments portion of the council meeting, which is reserved for members of the public who want to address the City Council regarding non-agenda items.

“This year I was really disappointed to see that we had regular herds of people to criticize the sitting council,” he said. “To make disparaging and in many cases totally untruthful comments or remarks is not the way you elect, select and support your representatives.”

As council watchers the last few years, our perception is that criticism of the council majority's actions came from across the political spectrum, was usually well-founded, and was overwhelmingly validated by the public in November's landslide election.  Mean-spiritedness went both ways, and was often originated or exacerbated by council members' contemptuous, erroneous dismissal of public speakers as being a fringe minority.

We hope the new council gives, and earns, more respect, regardless of individual political affiliations.  Public civility is likely to follow the tone set by the council.

Lonely lives of deputies

Deputies seek man who exposed himself in Cardiff.

90-foot stadium lights coming to Cardiff sunsets

U-T letter to the editor:

Lights will cause air pollution

I’m sure readers are aware of the development of the Hall Property Park off Interstate 5 in the middle of an Encinitas residential neighborhood. But they may not know about the 90-foot-tall lights the city of Encinitas is planning to install in the park.

The plan calls for the use of four 90-foot-tall lights and 10 80-foot-tall lights, which will be installed by the end of 2013. The standard height for lights in a residential neighborhood is 30 feet, 60 feet lower than the proposed Hall Property’s lights.

These lights will be a nuisance to citizens living around the area. Property values will plummet and the lights will pollute the air. Would you like it if your house, that you paid $1 million for, decreased in value?

Readers can help by writing to all five Encinitas City Council members today, and urging them not to install these lights. If enough people protest, we may be able to scale back the lights in time and save our community.

Jake Smith

student, Pacific Ridge School Cardiff

Oceanside man crashes in Fallbrook, wakes up dead in Encinitas

Oceanside - Camp Pendleton Patch:

A man killed Sunday in a two-vehicle crash on state Route 76 near Pala Mesa was identified as 49-year-old Benjamin Taylor of Oceanside.

The Medical Examiner said Taylor was found unresponsive by a passerby in his Ford F150 pickup truck, in a ditch, against a tree, near Manchester Avenue in Encinitas after he crashed about 3:25 p.m. Sunday on Route 76 east of Monserate Hill Road.

The truck's flight of almost 30 miles is believed to be a new record for the F-150.

Merry Christmas

Coming soon to a gutter near you

In what is apparently the first expenditure by Encinitas charity "We Love Encinitas" since the campaign season, the group has inserted flyers among the mattress ads and other detritus wrapped in plastic and thrown unsolicited on Encinitas lawns, gardens, and driveways.



Though the expenditure seems odd, we suspect that WLE's lawyers told them they had better start spending some money outside of election season to try to create the appearance that the charity is something other than a campaign ploy.

In other WLE news, a commenter points out at North Coast Current that WLE's claim of 501(c)(3) status was likely fraudulent, as the brand new group wouldn't have had time to get IRS approval.

More fingerprints on sham charity: Kristin Gaspar's, and developer David Meyer's

Last month, we learned that the charity sending out campaign propaganda to support incumbents Jerome Stocks and Mark Muir was tied to Paul Gaspar, husband of councilwoman Kristin Gaspar.

When questioned by the North Coast Current, Kristin Gaspar declined comment and directed questions toward her husband.

Now the trail goes directly to Kristin Gaspar.  The Coast News obtained the October 22 We Love Encinitas filing with the California Secretary of State which lists Kristin, not Paul, Gaspar as the agent for service of process.

More troubling than Gaspar's dissembling is the revelation that developer David Meyer is also behind the group.

The documents also list David Meyer, a real estate consultant and land developer in Encinitas as the secretary and chief financial officer of the group. Meyer’s past advocacy includes forming a political action group to oppose policies promoted by the late Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan.

A page from We Love Encinitas' Articles of Incorporation. It lists Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar as the agent for service of process. Documents filed later list Paul Gaspar as the agent for service of process.
In an email, Meyer said that any questions about his involvement with the group should be directed through We Love Encinitas, and not his personal email and phone number.

All requests for comments from We Love Encinitas, including whether the group has been granted or is applying for 501 (c) 3 status, have gone unanswered.

Who does Kristin Gaspar represent? The people of Encinitas or special interests like developer David Meyer?

Barth appointed mayor; Peace, love and happiness on city council?

Patch has the scoop:


It's a welcome display of goodwill on all sides. Kranz was ready to make Gaspar mayor, but Gaspar graciously deferred to the long-overdue Barth.

A new day for civility and cooperation in Encinitas?

2013 Cardiff Kook calendars now available

These make great Christmas gifts to fellow Encinitans and out-of-area friends and family alike.  And they benefit three good causes.

You can get your calendars at thecardiffkook.org, or at the Cardiff 101 Main Street Association office at 124 Aberdeen.

We LOVE our local guerrilla artists, the calendars that chronicle them, and the charities that benefit!

New blog comes to Encinitas

The web site weloveencinitas.com, connected to Paul Gaspar's "We Love Encinitas" charity, has changed over to a blog format.



As Gaspar told the North Coast Current, “... one does not have to be secret about disseminating good news – unlike the multiple anonymous negative groups and blogs that have infected Encinitas.”

We have no idea who the negative groups and blogs are that have infected Encinitas (if you do know, please send us a tip), but the new blog holds true to Gaspar's vision of All Happy Talk, All the Time. The first three posts include the amazing citizen satisfaction survey, "Encinitas citizens love a parade," and happy progress on the Hall Park.

Authorship on the blog posts is anonymous, and comments are not allowed.

Ironically, the positive tone of the blog stands in marked contrast to the writings of We Love Encinitas' beloved Jerome Stocks, who is entering retirement with a poison pen. On county Republican blog SDRostra, Stocks attacks his successor, Tony Kranz, for "seeming" to want a ridiculous $56,000 expenditure (how does one "seem" to want a $56,000 expenditure?  Did Kranz request it or not?).

We struggle to recall an example of a politician being less gracious in defeat.  And politicians are not a gracious lot.